Funerals

“At the death of a Christian, whose life of faith was begun in the waters of Baptism and strengthened at the Eucharistic table, the Church intercedes on behalf of the deceased because of its confident belief that death is not the end, nor does it break the bonds forged in life. The Church also ministers to the sorrowing and consoles them in the funeral rites with the comforting Word of God and the Sacrament of the Eucharist.” (Order of Christian Funerals, no. 4)

When a Catholic dies, the Church celebrates a particular set of liturgical rites to help us through the immediate days of our grieving, to express our belief in eternal life, and to help us pray for the one who has died. These rites are organized into what is called the Order of Christian Funerals, which contains all the liturgical prayers, scripture readings, and blessings for use immediately following the death of a member of the Church.

When a death occurs:

Contact Denise Brooks, Director of Music & Liturgy at dbrooks@sfatx.org or 817-312-4700, before meeting with the funeral directors. After confirming the church calendar and availability of clergy, Denise will help set the funeral date and time, and set a planning meeting with you to finalize the rites.

Funerals at St. Francis of Assisi are scheduled at 11:00am on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays or Fridays. A funeral with or without mass is considered a Catholic funeral.

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Scheduled Funerals

There are no upcoming events at this time.

PLANNING THE FUNERAL

For the planning meeting with Denise, please complete one of the forms below. Please use the following steps to ensure you save a copy for your records and that Denise also gets a completed copy (when funeral arrangements are being made):

Complete the form

SAVE the form to your computer files using the SAVE function of the pdf editor

EMAIL the form using the EMAIL icon on the PDF screen or by attaching it to an email to dbrooks@sfatx.org

Eulogies

“It is most appropriate, when family and friends are gathered together for visitation, to offer time for recalling the life of the deceased. For this reason, eulogies are usually encouraged to be done at the funeral home during visitation or at the Vigil Service.” – from USCCB, Bereavement and Funerals

Fees

St. Francis of Assisi parish does not charge a fee for a funeral. The cost of the church, music and clergy are born by the parish, as burying the dead is a corporal act of mercy. However, in keeping with the Catholic tradition of stewardship, families are encouraged to donate an appropriate amount consistent with their financial circumstances, to support the ministry of the Church.

Memorial Requests in lieu of Flowers

We would like to suggest that families request charitable donations in lieu of flowers in the name of their loved one. The donations would be used to support the mission of St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church and St. Francis Outreach. Please consider adding the following to obituary notices: “The family requests that memorials be made to St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church or St. Francis Outreach, 461 Wildwood Lane, Grapevine, TX 76051.” An acknowledgement of your memorial, in the name of the deceased, will be sent to the family from St. Francis Church.

Planned Giving

If you would like to remember St. Francis of Assisi Parish in your will, please contact John Gawrys, St. Francis Business Manager, at 817-481-2685 ext. 225 for information on this process.

For more information about Catholic funerals, see the following from the US Conference of Catholic Bishops: